Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Bahamas Part 2

Continuing to find new birds in the garden, on the pond and at the beach.

Gray Kingbird

Black-necked Stilt

Wilson's Plover

A very spiffy Ruddy Turnstone with Semi-palmated Plovers

early morning Kestrel

Here's one of the numerous Blackpoll Warblers that showed up recently. I was excited to see these as I don't always get them in Maine. Interestingly, I discovered that they forage among the Gumbo Limbos for fruits that have already had the flesh eaten off the pit.

Blackpolls are fairly large warblers

Blackpoll Warbler

Cape May's remain by far the most common yard bird at the moment.

Cape May Warbler

About an hour north from Calypso, past Gregory Town and before the Glass Window, there is a large salt lake that is home to a colony of Gull-billed Terns. It is a strange place.

shallow, salty lake

Gull-billed Terns

Gull-billed Tern

like I said, a strange place

Frigate bird in Governor's Harbor

I have spent the last few evenings paddling my SUP on the pond at Calypso, and the birds are steadily getting used to seeing me. I am keeping my profile low, and my movements slow. The Clapper Rail pair remain cautious, but this evening, I had a whistling duck actually follow me around for about 45 minutes. The bird was no more than 15 feet away and seemed to give courage to a few of the other residents.